The German international, 27, netted his 10th goal of the season against Swansea last weekend - despite operating on the left wing since joining from Cologne in the summer for an undisclosed fee.

Podolski told the Arsenal's Official Matchday Programme: "It's been a good half-season for me - I'm happy.

"I've come to a new league, a new country, and I think things have gone OK. Then again, I've been a professional footballer for 10 years so it's not as if my environment has changed at a very young age. I'm 27 and have won a lot of caps for Germany, so I expected to come here and adapt.

"I now have 10 goals and seven assists, and I think these are good figures. It could be better - you can always be better - but I think it's decent because I'm playing more as a left-sided midfielder than as a striker.

"When you play up front or in the number 10 position, like Santi, you have more chances to score. I think I've done well on the left and feel good about how things have gone."